Utica Parents Organize Town Hall as K2 Drug Epidemic Sweeps Nation

The Utica Area Community Action Team will no longer sit idle while K2 or spice is being sold to teenagers at local gas stations and party stores.

UCAT, lead by concerned residents, school district representatives, teachers, a judge and parents, have organized a town Hall meeting May 21 at Utica High School auditorium to educate the community about the dangerous legal drugs.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Judge Jodi Debbrecht of the 51^st District Court and Elizeibeth Reader from the Milford Counseling Center will be on hand to disccuss the impact of K2 in the community and legislation that is currently under consideration.

Spice is a form of synthetic marijuana that is commonly sold as incense, or potpourri. It was originally sold under the name K2, but legislation banned K2 in Michigan in October of 2010. Since the ban, manufacturers are finding ways around the legislation by manufacturing variations of the banned substance, eliminating the chemicals that caused the original K2 to be banned.

According to an article in The Journal of School Safety, one in nine high school seniors has used synthetic marijuana in the past year.

The article states that the use of Spice is now the second most frequently used drug among high school seniors, second only to marijuana.

Utica father who said his world was turned upside down by the drug, is helping UCAT spread their message.

“Synthetic Marijuana has turned my child into an addict and has torn my family apart,” said William Miskokoman.

The father said it pains him to see that children can so easily access the legal drug.

"For over a year and a half my son has been buying synthetic marijuana from
the CITGO station located within the vicinity of Eppler junior high and
Utica high school,” he said. I would like all stores carrying this product to please remove these poisons  from the shelves.”

Miskokoman said if legislation isn’t passed soon then he will be holding rallies in front of stores that sell K2 or spice to curb their sales and shame them into removing the substances.

The determined father has created a Facebook page for Shelby and Utica residents to learn more about the harmful effects of K2 or spice.